The invention relates to a device for accommodating catalyst, in particular primary and secondary catalyst for the production of synthesis gas in an autothermal reformer, the primary catalyst being accommodated in a plurality of parallel catalyst tubes.
There exist already a variety of similar devices, particularly in the case of autothermal reformers for synthesis gas production, which incorporate primary and secondary catalysts arranged in such a way as to control and utilize the energy (i.e. heat) arising from the reactions, which are generally of an overall exothermic nature. DE-OS 36 05 811 and DE-OS 32 44 252 may be cited as examples for the arrangement of, in particular, primary catalyst tubes. DE-OS 35 32 413 makes provision for the primary catalyst tube bundle to be surrounded with packing material, through which the synthesis gas flows, and which may be further adapted to function as a secondary catalyst.
Alternative gas flow patterns and secondary reformer configurations are to be found in GB-A 2 153 382 and EP-A 0 242 199.
It has been found that known devices are in need of improvement in certain important respects, in particular as regards the utilization efficiency of the catalysts, the appropriate mode of support for the secondary catalyst, optimization of the synthesis gas channels, the density of the tube bundle, the overcoming of thermal distortions and improved sizing of installations equipped with appropriate accessories.